Antagonistic effects of cyproterone acetate and oestradiol on the development of the fetal rat prostate gland induced by androgens in organ culture

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Abstract
The influence of cyproterone acetate and 17β‐estradiol on the induction of the rat prostate gland by androgens has been investigated in organ culture. The gland develops from its “anlage,” the urogenital sinus, as epithelial buds projecting from the urogenital epithelium into the surrounding mesenchyme. In 16.5‐day‐old male sinuses explanted in organ culture, testosterone or dihydrotestosterone induced such buds de novo; cyproterone acetate or 17/3‐estradiol combined with the androgens competitively inhibit the bud formation in most explants. In contrast, in 18.5‐day male sinuses both anti‐androgens are ineffective, and prostatic buds develop. The difference in response suggests that in the older tissue, exposure to endogenous testosterone before explanation has already set in motion events leading to the differentiation of the gland that are irreversible.